Bottle capper



Dec. 30, 1930. E. R. LEIGHTON BOTTLE CAPPER 733/6? gm www Filed Feb. 3, 1928 Patented Dec. 30, 1930 -v matura 'UMrEnksTATEs PATENT orrie EUGENE LEIGHTON,r 0F NORTH ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORI TO JENNIE E. LlilIGI-I'lhl'y OF NORTH ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS BOTTLE CAPPER Application filed February 3, 1528. Serial No. 251,551.

T his invention relates to a mechanism for cappingA milk bottles With the usual cardboard disk caps. An object of the invention is to'provide a simple device which may be operated by hand or may be included in a bottlercappingmachine, which is simple in construction and reliable in operation, yand which is easily loaded with a relativelylarge supply of fcaps. A further object of the in vention isto provide a capping mechanism capable of inverting each cap priorV to its insertion in the mouth of a bottle as it descends from the magazine through a relatively short distance to the bottle mouth. Thus a shorter and lighter mechanism is provided th'an'has heretofore beeny available in mechanisms of this type. These and other advantageous feat-ures will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description of Vthel device and'from the drawf ing, of Which,-

.Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mechanism embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of thesaine. Figure is a sectiony on the line 3-3 of Figure 1j Figure is a sectional ure 3,'but showing the mechanismin a different position of operation.

Figuren is a fragmentary section of the loiverportion of the` apparatus showing the progress of abottle cap therethrough.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Figure 2.

"Figure ,7 Figure 3; Y

FigureS isa perspective view of the ejector. ,Referring to they drawings in detail, 1() represents a maga-zine inthe general form of an upright tube adaptedj to' receive a stack 11 of bottle caps Which may be inserted, if desired, Within a tubular holder 12 of paper or the like, in Vwhich they are commonly packaged. rlhe bore'ofv theV holder 12 is large enough toreceive the stack 11 with a relatively loose fit so that the caps will slide dovvn through the magazine readily by their vown weight. Thebore of the `n'iagazine 10 vis preferablytapered at its lower end as at 13 so thatthe opening at itsY lower end is just VVis a section on the line V7 7 of view similar to Figlarge enough to permit a cap to pass through. Secured to the magazine 10 at its lower end is a base member 14, this member being arranged with its upper surfacel between its contacting margins spaced from the lower end of the magazine 10 by a distance'slightly greater than the thickness of a single bottle cap. The base member 1l is provided with a downwardly extending aperture 15 which has an opening in the upper surface of the member lll approximately the size and shape of af cap, but laterally displaced from thebottom opening-of the magazine 10, so that the upper surface of the block 14 projects partially across ythe bore of the magazine forming a crescent-likeshelf 16 which extends around slightly more than half the inner periphery of the bore of the magazine. and supports the stack of caps therein. 1n order 'to release a cap from the stack, a suitable slide or ejector 1T is provided to rreciprocate laterally on the upper'surface of the base member 14. This ejector is adapted to engage the edge of the bottom-most Acap in the stack and displacey it laterally so that it clears the shelf l'and registers With the opening in the block 14,

clearance space for the slide 17'V being cut in the upper face ofthe base member 14. Clearance is also preferably provided between the magazine and base member at the side oppo site to the slide 17, as at 172, this clearance being preferably increased 4by a bevel in the edge of the magazine kcasting which gives an ejected cap more space'in Vwhich to turn and which enables the operatorto insert a feeler to rdisplace a cap which may havebecome jammed as a result of imperfection'of aft form or other cause. Below the opening in the upper surface of the block 1st and extend ing about half-way thereacross, the base inember 14 is provided with a moderately sloping surface 19 on which a cap which has been displaced from the shelf 16 impinges as it falls through the opening. The cap is thus turned on a diametral aXis until it has the same slope as the surface 19. The cap thereupon slides down olf the edge of theslope 19 and on to the` surface Q0 ofthe base member 1-@1 which has a considerably steeper slope. This turns the cap further on its turning axis as it slides down the face 2O as shown in Figure Positioned below the base member 1st is a block Z1 which has a central aperture 22 slightly smaller than the size of the bottle cap. From the margin of the aperture 22, the wall of the block 21 rises with an outward flare in the shape otl a cup. A portion ot the wall may be extended up as at Q3 so as to provide a convenient sloping surface preterably coneaved as at Q4 in the path ot a cap sliding from the surface :20 whereby the rotation oi the cap is continued, the cup-shaped wall ot the block 21 serving to center the cap over the aperture Q2. The wall ot the block 21 extends also downwardly from the aperture 22 and its inner surface is likewise liar-ed in the shape ci a cup adapted to rest on the top of a mill; bott-le and to center the aperture Q2 over the mouth of the bottle, so that when a capy 'ifalls through the aperture 15, it turned successively by the surfaces 19, Q0 and :2i to an inverted position over the aperture 22 and consequently directly over the mouth of the bottle. The block Q1 is connected to the magazine 10 and the base member 14h so as to be vertically reciproeable thereto. The connecting means may be in the form of a pair of suitable slides 25 which as shown in Figure 2 may be connected to the block 21 as by screws Q6. Suitable vertical ribs 27 or other equivalent guiding means may be formed on or secured to the sides of the magazine 10 to guide the slides 25 and to maintain them in uprightposition. A plate 28 may be provided to maintain each slide 25 between its guides 27. In order to actuate the ejector slide 17, a pair of laterally extending lugs 29 may be provided therewith. Each oi these lugs is adapted to project through a diagonal slot BO cut in the slides Q5 and may be formed integrally with one ofthe guide runners 170. It will be at once apparent trom Figure 2 that motion of the slides 25 up and down rela tively to the magazine 10 will result in a lateral reciprocation of the ejector 17. The lower portion of the base member 1st is suitably shaped as at 31 to form a plunger adapted to be projected downwardly through the aperture 22and thus to torce a bottle cap through the aperture and to seat-vitin the mouth of a bottle therebeneath.

The operation of the mechanism as tollows: lllhen a stack ot caps has been inserted in the magazine, the magazine may be raised relatively to the block 21. This retraccs the ejector 17 to the position shown in Figure 3. The magazine 10 is thereupon lowered to the position shown in Figure 1, this motion causing the sidewise displacement oi' the bottom-n'iostcap in the stack by the ejector 1T, which cap falls onto and slid s down the sin faces 19, 2O until its edge stubs the surface 2li, The magazine is thereupon lifted to elevate it with relation to the block 21 and thus to retract the ejector 17, whereupon the cap slides down the surface 211, its upper edge tilts outwardly, and it then slides down wardly in inverted position over the apta ture 22. The mechanism is then placed over a milk bottle to be capped and the magazine 10 is thrust downwardly. This causes the plunger 31 to force the cap which is over the aperture 22 through the aperture and into itsl seat in the mouth ot the mill; bottle. Simultaneously with this action, the ejector 17 displaees another cap trom the bottom ot' the stack as shown in Figure 4, this capv proceeding to fall into place over the aperture the magazine is raised and into position to be seated on a bottle on the next downward stroke of the magazine. Thus the operation may be repeated as long as a i supply olf caps is maintained in the magazine. inasmuch as each cap isk inverted bei'ore being inserted in a bottle mouth, it obvious that the caps should be inserted in the magazine upside down so that any printing matter thereon will be on their bottom faces as they are positioned inthe magazine. This is convenient to the operator who naturally opens the top of'a container ot a stack of caps to see thatr the correct printed matter is thereon, thea in the case of a machine capper inverte the stach and inserts its top end down most into the magazine, whereupon the maga zine is ready foroperation. 'Where the cappiiig is done by hand, it is usually more convenient vto invert the capper and bring it down over the stack holder 12, the top end ot w iich has been opened. The capper and holder' are then turned right side up yand the holder 12 slightly withdrawn to bring its lower edge above the tapered portion of the lower end ot' the magazine bore to free the lowest caps.

Having thus described certain embodiments of this invention, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims,

1 claim 1. A device of the class described, comprising a tubular member having a bore adapted to receive a nd hold a stack of milk bottle caps, means for removing a cap from the bottom of said stack, an apertured blockadapted to fill Ei J

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rest on the top of a milk bottle with its aperture registering with the mouth of the bottle, said aperture having a diameter slightly less than that of a cap, and a plunger movable through said aperture, said block and plunger living cooperating guide surfaces for inverting a cap after its removal from the bottom of the stack. v

2. A device of the class described, comprising an apertured block adapted to rest on top of milk bottle, means for forcing a cap through said aperture to seat in the mouth of said bottle, said means comprising a plunger vertically reciprocable relatively to said block, means extending upwardly from said block for guiding the motion of said plunger, said guide means having an inclined slot therein, and means for feeding a cap to said block, said feeding means including an ejector mounted to move vertically with said plunger and to slide horizontally relatively thereto, said ejector having a lug engaging in said slot whereby motion of the plunger relative to the block causes transverse motion of the slide.

3, A device of the class described, comprising an upright tubular magazine formilk bottle caps having a plane lower face with a circular opening ytherein of slightly largersize than that of a. bottle cap, a. base member secured to the bottom of said magazine, the upper surface of said base member being depressed to provide a clearance between the magazine and member slightly-greater than the thickness of aca-p, said upper surface also having a pair of parallel channels therein and a circular opening slightly larger than a flat area of a bottle cap and odset relatively to the opening in the botto-m of the magazine, thus forming a crescent-shaped shelf below said magazine to support caps placed therein, an ej ector slide reciprocable in said elearance between the magazine and base member, said slide having runners fitting in said channels, means for operating said slide to displace the bottom-most cap from said shelf, and means for inverting the released cap and seating it in the mouth of a bottle.

4. A device of the class described, comprising an apertured block having a circular recess in the bottom thereof adapted to receive the top of a milk bottleV and a circular recess in the uper part thereof adapted to receive a bottle cap, a tubular ymagazine vertically disposed .above said aperture and adapted to receive and hold a stack of'bottle tops, a plunger secured below said magazine and reciprocable ltherewith relatively to said block, said plunger having an upper surface extending part way across the space beneath A the magazine with a moderate slope and the rest of the way with a steep slope in the same direction, means associated with said magazine forsupporting a stack of caps therein, and an ejector transversely movable to releaselthe VVbottom cap from the stack and to permit it to kfall on the sloping surfaces of said plunger, said block having a face sloping in the reverse direction to cooperate with said plunger to invert a cap, released from the stack during its descent therefrom into the upper recess ofathe block. i' y 5. A devicevof theclass described, comrising an upright tubular magazine for milk bottle caps, a base member secured to the lower end of said magazine, said base member havingV an aperture therethrough with an opening at its upper face substantially yequal to the cross section of the bore of the magazine but laterally offset therefrom so that a portion of the upper face of said base4 member forms a shelf below said magazine to support a stack of caps therein, 'said base member having below said opening a moderately sloping surface extending about half-way across Vsaid opening and terminating in a surface sloping steeply in the same direction, a slide movable on the upper,V

face of said base member to displace laterally` the bottom-most cap in said magazine so that the cap registers with Vand falls into said opening and is successively turned on a diametral axis as it slides down said moderately sloping and steeply sloping surfaces, a block adapted to engage on the top of a milk bottle, said block having a central aperture slightly less than the size of a cap and a cup-shaped wall rising from saidy aperture, the cup-shaped wall of the block having a portion sloping in a` direction trans-l verse to that of the inclined surfaces of the base member, means connecting said block Vwith said magazine and base member and guiding relative vertical reciprocation therebetween, said block being located'so that when the magazine is in relatively elevated position, a portion of the side wall of the block sloping in a direction transverse to that of the inclined surfaces of the base member is in position to receive a. cap sliding off said steeply'sloping surface and to complete the turning of the cap to an inverted position, said base member having a plunger portion arranged to projectl downwardly through the aperture in said block when the magazine moves toits lowered position, and means for reciprocating said slide laterally when the Vmagazine is raised and lowered with respect Y lil() iis cured to said magazine, each said guide having an inclined Slot therein, and a. horizontally recprocnhle cap ejeeting slide having laterally extending lugs engaging in the slots of the respective guides whereby vertical reciprocation of the block results in horizontal reciprocution of the ejectng slide.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

EUGENE R. LEIGHTON. 

